A nice place

I would like to be able to give you an explanation on why did I choose Latvia and Lithuania for my summer trip, but I can’t… they just happened to catch my eye on the map and then the usual question, why not?

Riga, capital city of Latvia is actually the interesting eclectic result of mix and matching medieval architecture with art nouveau, remains of a soviet era and the coffee places that turn into a nice and safe refuge from the crazy rains that appear all of a sudden during a perfectly sunny day.

                           

 

It is a small city, with just under 700 000 people, easy to see by foot. Start with the city center, mostly old medieval buildings with several restaurants, cafes, and little stores boasting cool modern design. Climb up the tower of Saint Peter’s Church for a lovely panoramic view of the city. 

Don't forget to take a picture of the emblematic sculpture of the four musicians of Bremen, a gift from its twin city a couple decades ago depicting the four animals from the famous Grimm brothers' story. 

I couldn’t get into the history museum because it was closed due to a fire in the palace not long before my visit. Stroll along the river and out of the city center, passing the soviet era buildings, to start encountering random art nouveau buildings until you enter the art nouveau district. Pay a visit to the art nouveau museum, a time capsule with a different approach of the history of the city.

          

Next to the bus and train station is the market. A massive compound, including an open-air area, of local sellers offering all sorts of foods and goods. It is not where you will buy your souvenirs; it is the more likely where the locals do their shopping, but a good opportunities for tourists to get a peep of what it is everyday life in Riga. Keep walking past the market and you will enter

          

Spikeri, not still finished, I am sure it will be by far the coolest area of the city. A bunch of old warehouses restored and converted into art centers, stores and restaurants. I would love to see this place in a couple of years.

The people are nice, they have a very bright color fashion and appear to enjoy posing for pictures. I was lucky enough to run into three different couples about to get married, all dressed up, posing in the city or the park.

Gauja National park in Sigulda is  a nice day trip close to Riga, you can enjoy a nice walk in nature, visit the “famous” Gutman cave and wander around the castle which include sound effects as you climbing up the tower. It really is worth the time, and I would even stay a night just to be able to enjoy all the natural wonders of the place.

Latvian food is quite tasty. Don’t miss the bright pink beetroot soup or the sweet bread soup for dessert. Just let yourself loose into the charm of the city center and be entertained by a wide diversity of street performers. We shouldn’t forget that, after all, the slogan for the city is Riga: a nice place… I would say it is nicer than nice.